Me Katniss, You Peeta
by Blueberrychills94
Summary: Based off Tarzan: Katniss' parents are killed in the jungle when she was baby and she has been raised by apes her whole life. She behaves like an ape and is not aware of her human heritage until a group of females take an expedition through the jungle. Katniss is told by the apes to steer clear of them but she becomes intrigued by the only male, Peeta, and breaks the rules.
1. Chapter 1

Me Katniss, You Peeta.

Chapter One

The view from the treetops is indescribable. Words have never came easy to me, I have never uttered more than a few words my entire life, but I know that if even if I could speak in proper terms, I still would not be able to describe the sheer beauty of the view of the jungle from the top of the tallest tree. I can see my entire world stretched out in front of me and I entertain the idea that I can see every leaf, every blade of grass, every beetle, every bug, from my seat on the highest branch. I know that this is impossible but it pleases me to think this way. My entire world, in the palm of my hands.

I am the jungle.

The jungle is me.

I hear Kala's call. Distant but distinct. I whip around, squinting through the leaves, and see her sitting at the base of the trunk. I call back and smile, assuring her that I'm fine, before grabbing a vine and sliding down. My feet crush the forest debris, creating a satisfying crunch, and lower myself onto my haunches. Kala's gaze is judging, her anger at my vanishing clear. I lean forward and nuzzle her neck, her scratchy, matted fur rubbing my cheek. She is not angry at me long and smiles affectionately. Her large hand pats my head before she walks away, expecting me to follow.

I do for I have nowhere else to go.

I do not entertain the idea that I am the same as Kala and the others because it is clear I am not. They are covered in gorgeous fur, have hands large enough to crush opposition with ease, they are bigger than I, stronger, faster. My skin is bare, my hands are small, but I am strong. I do not wish to discover why I am different, I have been raised by Kala so she is my family.

Once we have reached the spot where the others are resting, Kala tells me that we are to move on at dusk. I remember when it used to be a challenge to move in the dark. As a youngling I struggled, but I am older now and find it easier to frequent the trees than the land. I nod in understand and eat a short meal before we set off. I exchange quick looks with the others, whose eyes light up with glee.

There was a time when they wouldn't accept me. They allowed Kala to raise me but it was no secret that once I grew older, they wanted me gone. And I don't believe for one second that they wouldn't have pushed me out if Kala hadn't fought so hard to keep me. My best friend Gale, an ape much larger than I who accepted me ever since I was a youngling, desperately wanted me to stay but we knew I'd have to do something to prove to the others that I was worth keeping. Especially to Cornelius, the leader of the troop who still gives me the stink eye despite the other's acceptance.

Gale dared me to steal the hair of an elephant, something no ape ever dared to do. I wanted to be accepted as a fellow ape desperately, I wished to prove myself as one of them, so I did what he told me to do. It was an incredibly stupid thing to do but we all do silly things to no longer be considered an outsider. I didn't want the other apes to look at me like I was 'a hairless wonder' anymore. I wanted them to look at me and see one of them. Which retrieving the elephant hair would hopefully achieve.

Gale had been right to dare me, I had been stupid to accept it. However, over the years I had learned to use my differences to my advantage and was able to swim in the rivers and creeks, a thing no ape had ever been able to do. The elephants frequent the water, using their magnificent trunks to slurp up the water as nourishment. I snuck up behind a baby and plucked a single hair from its behind. For a single moment I was triumphant, staring at the hair between my thumb and forefinger in disbelief, amazed that I had managed to do it.

The baby elephant lashed out, its panic causes a stampede to ensue. Thankfully, no one from the clan was injured but I couldn't believe I had been so idiotic as to think that I could gain acceptance by doing ridiculous things. Sometimes I blame Gale, for who I know blames himself, but I know in my heart that it's no one's fault but my own.

Kala showed me that night that we are the same. She held me in her arms and showed me that we have the same hands, eyes, hearts. That where-ever I came from doesn't matter, that I am hers and she is mine. I the daughter and she the mother. I was raised by Kala and I will continue to be raised by her. She loves me and I will always love her. My new confidence surprised the other apes in the clan but I think they began to respect me for how I no longer cared about what they thought of me. I don't know if they've stopped calling me the 'hairless wonder' but I no longer receive angry eyes being thrown my way. And, for now, their respect is the best thing I can have.

We travel all night. I always keep one eye on my mother and one eye on the sky. I sometimes wonder if this is what it feels like to be a bird, soaring through the air with wings full of gorgeous feathers. I swing from vine to vine, grabbing at branches and jumping across reasonable gaps. Kala is watchful of me, I know how she worries, but this is the only way I am to keep up with them. On the ground, I am the hairless wonder, in the trees, I'm the best ape in the jungle.

The dark is relaxing, my eyes working like the sun is still up and day is still neigh. I can feel my muscles begin to ache but I do not stop, I do not pause, because I must prove I am one of them, show the apes I am strong. Because I am strong. Stronger than most of them. I sometimes wonder if I was maybe an ape just born without hair. That this is what Kala and Gale and Cornelius would look like if I were to shave them down to their natural skin. Just because I can flaunt my muscles and tawny skin does not make me weak. My differences do not make me weak.

I _am_ strong.

When the sky morphs from the pitch black of night to a pale purple as the hot ball of fire begins to make its way back to us we stop. The clan settles but I stay up in the trees, staring at the kingdom of leaves and foliage as dawn approaches. A brand new day. My fingers tighten around the branch I sit on, clutching until my knuckles turn white. My muscles are crying for reprieve but I have to see it, I have to see the brand new day as it unfolds before my eyes. The sun is the instigator, the controller of us all. I will not rest until I welcome it back to the jungle. Thanking it for giving me the rest my body needs, thanking it for the light that it brings the land.

I know it is not my place to thank on the behalf of the jungle but I do it anyway, as the other animals will not bother, I am sure of it.

I sleep in the tree, nestled against a branch and shrouded by the leaves. The sun warms my skin, lulls me to the sleep, and I immerse myself into the depths of my own mind.

When I awaken again, I am sure it is afternoon. The sun has not left yet but I am sure it will soon. The clan is still below me, all still asleep. I stretch my limbs and jump to the next tree, then the one after that and the one after that. I continue to swing and leap and climb and skid until I am far from the other apes but still know where they are. I don't know where I'm going but that adds to the enjoyment of it.

I move so far into the jungle I find myself somewhere I've never been before. Kala always told me to never go into the uncharted areas without her but I find myself older now and the prospect no longer frightens me. Everything is the same to the untrained eye but I notice the many differences that wow me into silence. The flowers are exotic and of odd, bright colours. The grass is a little longer, littered with leaves and the odd rotting fruit. I jump from my tree and wander across the expanse, my eyes unable to take in everything at once.

It's beautiful, it's amazing, it's aweing.

In the distance, I find a weird structure. As I approach, I realize it must be made of the same thing as the trees. A wood of some sort. The structure is falling apart, veins having wrapped themselves around the top and bottom, leaking out of holes and crumbles in the wood. I wonder how long such a thing has stood here and how long it has went unnoticed by the others.

Inside is in just as much a ruin. The floor is cool beneath my feet and I do not like it, but do not back down. There are more odd structures inside. Made of the same tree wood. The interior is rotting away, the entire place stinking of mildew. Again I wonder how old this place is and, more importantly, what in the world it is.

Who used to use such a place? What was its purpose? Does Kala know that such things exist in this very jungle? Or will she be just as surprised as I am?

A strange sound captures my attention. My nerves lurch in my weighs and I immediately flee, survival having been drilled into my ever since I was a youngling. I scale the closest tree, using anything I can find. Vines, branches, even leaves a couple of times. I know I should go back to Kala and the others but something keeps me rooted to my spot high in the tree. Whether it be curiosity or just pure stupidity, I'll never know.

A group of strangers appear out from behind the cabin. Strange creatures I have never seen before. I stay close to the trunk of my tree but continue to look on, amazed at how these animals hold themselves so straight and have such strange hides-

They don't have hides. Only skin.

They look like me!

No, this can't be true. Kala never said there was more of my kind. She _would_ have told me. These animals must be a variation of something I've never seen before. A mutant or a hybrid of two unsuspecting species who decided to would be a good idea to mate, despite the ugly off spring they'd produce.

There's five people. All seeming to look like me. Long hair-much straighter and cleaner than mine-facial features evenly spaced out and unburdened by fuzzy fur, they walk on two legs and do not drag their hands. They're surprisingly similar to me, despite the impossibility of it.

"This is where they used to stay," one of the animals says. The voice is high pitched and they speak the words I can sometimes produce when I try hard enough. "I told you that people used to leave her Delly."

The supposed 'Delly' folds its arm and sticks out its bottom lip. "It was an easy mistake to make, this jungle is so thick it would be reasonable to think it was only inhabited by animals!"

All these creatures wear strange clothes. Tawny bottoms and zipped up tops, with strange headwear that covers most of their heads. The first one to speak opens its mouth again but is interrupted by the third creature standing by. The fourth and fifth have both disappeared into the cabin, intrigued by is mystery just like I. "You fought so hard to prove your point, Delly, you even insulted a few of Leevy's ancestors. I think you should apologize."

"Oh, do be quiet Madge, it's nothing to do with you," snaps the Delly.

I have not heard of any of these animals. Delly. Leevy. Madge. I cannot believe how much I have missed out on. I spent my life believing I knew every animal in the jungle. It appears I am far from it.

"Besides, that cabin could be inhabited by animals," the Delly insists.

"Nope." The fifth girl comes out before the fourth, a somewhat satisfied smile on her features. "There's furniture in there and everything. Humans. Definitely."

Humans? What is a human? Are these animals variations of humans, I wonder? If so, how have I never seen them before? Are these names only titles for the whole species known as human?

The Delly is clearly enraged. It marches passed the Madge and Leevy, stomps up the steps and stands inside the odd tree wood structure. "It's a mess in here, you can't tell that this rot is furniture!" it declares. It spins on its heel and looks at fifth creature. "You're wrong, Clove. Wrong, wrong, wrong!"

"Oh shut it, will you?" the Clove bellows. I am impressed by its bravery, shouting in the middle of a populated jungle, and find the way the Delly cowers a little amusing. "Prim, second opinion, furniture: yay or neigh?"

"Yay!" A small voice replies. Fourth animal returns to join the others, the Prim creature? "Definitely human furniture."

The Delly, obviously outnumbered, throws it hands up in despair. I wonder if its mistake will cost it its position with the pack, if it will now be kicked out, like I have almost been many a time before. Instead, however, it simply kicks the side of the structure in anger. "You always gang up on me," it complains.

"That's because you're always wrong," the Leevy responds, mimicking the Delly tone almost as well as I have learned to mimic Kala's calls.

The Delly is still furious. It looks around and raises its eyebrows in suspicion. My heart beat quickens. Has it picked me out? Caught my scent? Am I now in horrible danger? It spins on its heel again, this time in a full circle, and only speaks when it stands back in its original position. "Where is Peeta? Did we lose him along the way?"

"Maybe he's made his escape from you," the Clove mutters. The Madge animal makes a strange snickering noise and nudges the Clove with its elbow.

Another strange name for a creature. I have never heard of a Peeta. I begin to fear something I had never imagined, something that had never crossed my own mind. How well do I know my own home? If I don't recognize these creatures, how many more out there are there that I don't know? Do I really only know a quarter of my comrades, my enemies, my friends? Maybe Kala was right. Maybe I should stay with her always, as she knows the ways of the jungle and would never betray me in that way.

The Delly comes out with the most deafening squeal I have ever heard in my entire life. As new as this animal is to me, she must be low on the food chain, as it is not very smart. Making such noises could attract predators from far and wide. "Peeta!" she squeals, "where are you?!"

The Leevy, a little smarter than its fellow pack member, slaps the Delly round the head. "Hush! The gorillas are nearby, we don't want to wake them!" she scolds.

However, the Delly's call works and another creatures comes out from the tree line. This one is different, much, much different. So different I find myself clamoring onto a closer to branch to have a better look. This animal is strapping, broad shouldered and strong looking. Its fur is not like the others, not long and dark like my own. It's cropped and scruffy, amazingly fair. Its skin pale as milk, once again hairless. It is beautiful. Unlike anything I have ever seen before.

The Delly's call must be a mating call of some sort. Calling the pretty and the perfect toward her. "Ah, Peeta, there you are," it declares. I begin to wonder which are the males and which are the females in this strange pack of naked creatures. I guess the long furred ones are the females, judging by the Delly's simpering and high pitched voice. Then the beautiful being, the 'Peeta', is the only male. How odd. Normally packs are dominated by the males. How strange this pack's customs are. But then again, I could be wrong.

"Sorry, I was distracted," the Peeta quickly explains. Wedged under its-his?-arm is a strange looking object, the part facing me coloured brown with a white section wedged between. "There's a tree back there that's got this lovely entanglement of vines. You should see the wrinkles in the bark, it's like nothing I've ever seen before."

The Delly rolls her eyes, sidling up to the Peeta and laying a hand on his shoulder. "You mustn't wander off, you had me worried for a moment." She bats her eye furs, the yellow strands flickering in an annoying fashion. It is clear what she is doing here. I've seen apes do it enough around mating season. She's marking her territory, showing the other girls who owns this Peeta creature. But, from what I can see, her pack mates don't seem to care. And the Peeta creature seems oblivious to it anyway, taking in his surroundings in amazement I recognize as the wonder of new environments. An amazement I had already experienced not long beforehand.

I don't care about the others anymore, I simply watch the Peeta. It is the only animal out of this new pack that has so far been able to appreciate the beauty of the jungle. It is dressed different from the others-proof that it is definitely different in gender, if I could only figure out which. It's top is white, the arm covers puffed out a little, with another top over the white that is black as night. I wonder at first it Peeta creatures wear bottoms as the bottom this one wears are so close fitted that I first think they are its legs. How strange. How different. How . . . exhilarating. A strange contraption sits at the end of its nose. The object is thin and wired and appears to be fitted with glass. The Peeta pushes them up every now and then but they almost immediately slip down again.

I look at my own body covers. Made from the hide of Kala's latest kill, a leopard who attacked the clan not long ago. I am completely different to these 'humans', dressed my animal skins and covered with dark skin and hair. If they saw me, would they think the same?

I force myself to move. I yank a vine free and make my way back to the clan. The humans are still on my mind but I force myself not to think about it, no matter how much the Peeta creature comes back into my head.

Kala is awake when I return and scolds me for wandering off. I take her apprehending and climb my tree again, deciding to get some more sleep before the clan begins to move again. Maybe by tomorrow we'll find the cabin.

I do not dream.

I never dream.

I have nothing to dream of.

Only blackness.

That's all I see.

In my dreams, I lack the sun.

**A/N: Hello folks, this is my first ever Everlark fic so please be gentle when reviewing! I hope this was an okay first chapter, let me know!**

**#wesupportjlaw**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: The cover of this story is a drawing by chistudios on tumblr. You should check out their blog, it's amazing! **

Chapter Two

It is not long before Cornelius discovers the new species settling in the jungle. He warns us all to stay away, that we are forbidden from interacting with the settlers in any way. I know immediately that this task will be incredibly taxing. The humans have been on my mind the entire time, their strange ways of communicating and standing and travelling around. In the small inbetween times when I'm not sleeping, all I can think of is the humans. They're so curious and odd but fascinating at the same time. Especially the Peeta animal.

I've always been very inquisitive, especially where it involves things I don't know about. Kala found it hard to keep up with me as a child as I used to chase baby baboons and dissect insects to discover the inner workings of their systems. I wish I could find the Peeta creature and capture it, find out how it works. What's similar to me and what's not. I wonder if Kala would be mad if I managed to capture it and dissect it . . . Cornelius would go mad, I know that much.

I begrudgingly conclude that I should listen to Cornelius. He does know best, after all. These humans could be predators. Even though we have the advantage in strength and numbers, they could have weapons. Sharp rocks that could slice skin and kill us. I hate to submit and admit defeat but I know when to back down. I don't want to become any more of an outcast than I already am in our leader's eyes.

A few days later, I climb from tree to tree. The clan has settled again and I'm wandering on my own. I stay as close to the top of the trees as I can, so I can feel the heat from the sun on my skin. My hands are chafed, little scrapes scratched deep across my palms and knuckles. I love the feel of the bark against my hands, every wrinkle and groove feeling like it's shaped to the form of my fingers and feet. Kala didn't even have to teach me how to climb, it has always been second nature to me. It's like I'm built for it. No, not built.

I am made for climbing.

It's mid-afternoon when I take a break. I sit on a high branch, where I'm shrouded from the ground but still have full view of the sky. I stare at the gorgeous blue until my eyes sting, until I'm forced to close them in peaceful rest. If I could live my life without sleeping, I would do it, for the darkness behind my eyelids is not worth the replenishment. I want to be forever moving, I want to be forever swinging from tree to tree with Kala and the other apes. I don't want to ever stop, not for anything. Rest is an interference. I do not want it but I need it.

At some point, I must fall asleep, for next thing I know I am being startled awake. Whatever it is that has woken me is not a loud sound, for once I'm alert I have to strain to listen to what it was. A rustle. Directly below me. Kala? Surely the clan are not moving just yet. We don't move until nightfall. Letting my feet drop off the branch, I grab where my feet previously stood with my hands, swinging down onto the one below. I let go again and crouch on the branch right below me. I peer through the gaps in the leaves to find the source of the sound. Another rustle, a lot softer this time. There is still too much obscuring my view so I descend even lower, two or three levels until I can see down to the ground.

It's not Kala.

It's the Peeta creature.

The first I see is the golden, fair hair. The sunlight threads through the holes in the leaves and reflects off the yellow strands, setting the animal's head on fire. It sits at the bottom of my tree, holding that strange object it had carried the other day. It is making strange markings, the sort Gale used to make with the blood from the berries but much more careful and intricate. I press my fingers into the bark and crawl down the trunk, getting a better look of the markings it's producing.

The Peeta is marking out a perfect replication of a baboon. Amazing. I grab the nearest branch and wrap myself around it, watching to see what the creature does next. Its movements fascinate me. Smooth but controlled, the image it's creating the exact same to what an actual baboon would look like. The Peeta looks the same, dressed the same, with the same weird contraption on its nose.

A baby baboon appears, as if able to tell that someone is drawing one of its kind. The Peeta creature is clever, doesn't frighten the baboon and allows it to amble over and examine its work.

"What do you think?" asks the Peeta. The baboon snatches the picture and I wince, horrified by the idea of the markings being destroyed. The Peeta allows it to look at the markings for a moment, not at all worried about it getting ruined. The baby baboon is okay at the beginning but begins to become aggressive with the markings. The Peeta can see this and becomes worried, taking the markings back before it is ripped.

The baboon stares at him for a moment, then at the markings, and starts to ball like the baby it is.

Oh, no. No, no, no.

The Peeta must know what's happening. I wonder as he stands up if he has knowledge of the monkeys and their rituals. I.e. if a baby cries, the clan investigates. They'll be on the Peeta creature in seconds, it won't stand a chance against them all. There's no escape, they'll all attack it. For all they shall see is a creature who has upset their young, even though the young is the one at fault. Cornelius' warning comes into my mind but I can't stay up here and allow the baboons to kill an innocent animal. I could leave now, jump to the next tree and return back to Kala and the rest of the clan but what would that achieve? If I leave the Peeta creature as easy pickings, it's basically the same as allowing a baby gazelle to be pummeled by a lion. Okay, I know that's the rule of the jungle but I can't do it. Not when this animal is so new to me. I want to know more of the Peeta and his other clan members. I have to find out more. Besides, I have always been the lesser creature in the pack, if I capture this Peeta animal, I will be the dominant being, for the first time.

Maybe if I discover more, Cornelius will finally accept me.

I wrench a vine free from the tree trunk, crawling backwards on my haunches to pull it free from the very top. When I look out, I see the trees rustling with the approaching onslaught of baboons. Before the Peeta can escape, I jump from my branch and wind myself around the vine as I fall. As I rush towards the ground, I kick my feet backward so I swing last minute. I wrap my arms around the Peeta animal's middle as I swing, pulling it tight against me as we soar back up to the closest tree branch.

I don't acknowledge the creature or its shock as I drop it onto the branch. I launch back down to a lower branch and carefully watch the baboons as they collect their young and move on. I do not worry about my captive escaping as I made sure we reached a higher branch so it will not climb or escape without my noticing first. As the monkeys vanish I see the Peeta's markings on the ground, lying out in the open just waiting to be ruined.

Gripping the vine tight in my hands, I suck in a breath and jump again, free-falling back toward the ground. I reach out as I swoop across the grass and grab the markings, the vine snapping tight and swinging back in a clean arch back in the direction from which I jumped. I let go of the vine as I pass the branch where I left the Peeta and hurl myself at it. I hit the wood full force, the rough bark scraping my skin and opening fresh wounds. The sting is powerful but I have experienced worse. I grit my teeth and clamour onto the branch, sitting on my haunches in front of the creature I just saved.

I stare at it.

It stares at me.

I notice for the first time that its eyes are blue. Bright like the sky above our heads. Hair like the sun and eyes like sky, I have never seen anything like it. Only these eyes are wide, with an expression I have only seen in the eyes of startled deer. I have frightened the Peeta creature, most likely from my capturing it. Again, I hear Cornelius' warning but I still can't bring myself to heed it. Definitely not now when I'm so close to the species of human.

I thrust my arm out, the one holding the markings, allowing him to take them back. It does, carefully, as if I am easily startled. The thought alone is insulting but I do not dwell on it.

"Thank you," it says.

I don't know how to answer. I haven't spoken in years. I continue to stare at it. Up close, I can make out the smooth contours of its face. A sharply cut jawline, a straight nose that upturns a little at the bottom, plush lips and high cheekbones. I still do not know a gender but still hazard the guess that a Peeta in the human clan is a male.

"I'm Peeta," the creature says gently. The animal's voice is sweet as honey from the fullest of hives. "Do you have a name?"

I do have a name. I have never said it before except in my own head. I still don't speak. I cannot try to answer, not even hazard a try, because I must seem dominant. If I stammer or trip up, the Peeta will think it is better than me. This cannot happen if I am to earn Cornelius' trust. I continue to stare the creature down. If it recognizes my authority, it will eventually back down. I may have rescued it once but never again.

"Are you on another expedition?" the animal presses.

I do not answer.

I can see something going on behind the Peeta's blue eyes and it eventually says, "Thank you. For saving me. I wouldn't have made it a mile before those monkeys caught up with me."

Thanks. Such an odd thing to say to me. Can't it see that we are different? Why is it talking to me like I'm on an equal level to it? Equal . . . level. Does it believe that we're equals? What a strange thing to think. It's almost . . . welcome.

The Peeta narrows its blue eyes, a thoughtful expression on its features. "Do you . . . live here?" it asks me slowly. I don't know whether to share that information or not. Shouldn't it be clear since I'm just as much an animal to it as it is to me? Is it mocking me? My hesitance must be answer enough for it as it continues, "How long have you been here?"

I don't know. This much I can say honestly. I really don't know.

I crawl forward a little, curious to have a better look at the Peeta creature. My curiosity must silence all other questions it has brewing in its mind as it allows me to take everything in with my eyes without another word. I pick at the strange body covers, wondering why so much clothing is necessary in such warm climates. It's made from the strangest hides. It's incredibly soft and almost silky. Silkier than the webs of the spiders of the jungle. I realize, while I am doing this, that I should satisfy the pressing question regarding gender once and for all by finding out this animal's sex.

Except when my hands go for the top of the animal's leg covers to investigate further, the Peeta intervenes and grabs my wrists. I could easily yank my hands away but look at it with a frown instead. What's its problem? It's not like I wish to mate with it, I just want to figure out the gender. I've seen worse done during mating season with the clan.

"I don't think we know each other well enough for that just yet," the Peeta says. It smiles again and I am filled with warmth.

I cock my head in confusion. Know each other? What is it talking about? How am I to tell it that all I want to know is whether it's a female or a male? I can barely say my own name. I reach out and grab a handful of the fair hair. It's almost as soft as the body covers, if even more so. The Peeta yelps in surprise when I yank on it, trying to decipher the sex myself since it's not going to allow me to find out biologically what gender it is.

I wonder why the creature hasn't tried to fight back. I'm ready for it, my muscles tensed, prepared for a fight. I don't know this animal's skills but, despite its strong-looking arms and body, I figure I could take it. From what I can see, we would be equal opponents. However I am advanced in stealth and in climbing ability. I could easily win a battle with this new species.

"Is there any way you can communicate with me?" the Peeta asks me. I still have a handful of its hair, paused in my confusion over why it doesn't fight back. Why it doesn't retaliate, why it chooses to ask me questions instead of escaping with force like all other animals in the kingdom would, I don't know. Never in my life have I ever happened upon an animal that wouldn't fight back when faced with danger. "Do you know how to speak?"

The Peeta is annoying me. A part of me knows that it's because the question grates on me but I don't acknowledge this. I don't speak, I haven't done for years. I know that if I tried hard enough, a voice would come out in words that are somehow in my head from many a moon ago. What do I say to it, though? Do I tell it that whatever kindness it believes my saving it has come from is gone. It barely existed in the first place. This animal is nothing but my passage to acceptance.

My knuckles are turning white, I'm clutching the Peeta's hair so hard. The pain is evident on the animal's face but it doesn't tell me to let go. Maybe it can see it's in a dilemma, that it's in trouble. Maybe it can see that I am capable of snapping its neck like a twig. Whichever it is, it doesn't mention the agony I'm causing.

Something touches my arm and I realize with a jolt that it's the Peeta animal. I jerk my arm away and shove my elbow against its neck, forcing it against the tree trunk. My heart pounds in my chest, frantic from the panic of thinking it's under attack. Was that an attempt at attack? Has the animal finally figured out that I'm a threat to it? From the startled look in its eyes, it definitely knows.

"What do you want?" The Peeta asks. Its voice is still level and its calmness is kind of infuriating. Why isn't it afraid? Why isn't it fearing me?

I narrow my eyes angrily. I can feel something beating underneath my arm, the creature's blood. Every time it swallows, I feel it. Life is so fragile, made up of blood and bones and organs. I could end this pathetic creature's life in a second if it pushed me enough. I could do it. I will do it.

But I can't.

The blue eyes are watching me in a way I've never been watched before. The Peeta is startled but it is not afraid. It's almost like it's . . . observing me. But why? Everything this animal does confuses me. It's the opposite of every other animal I've interacted with. We don't watch unless hunting. We don't talk unless we are of the same clan or allying groups. My grip on the Peeta is loosening.

"Can you talk?" The Peeta repeats.

My arm drops to my side and hangs there loosely. The Peeta doesn't move, doesn't dare to startle me again. At least the animal is wise. I reach out and take the contraption from its nose. Is it a weapon of some sort? I examine the item and put them at the end of my own nose, tying to discover its purpose. The Peeta blinks and begins to squint at me. This doesn't make sense, all it does it blurr my vision. It is not a weapon, it is a burden.

"They're glasses," the Peeta says helpfully. It reaches towards me and I flinch, my eyes lighting up in fear. I grab its wrist and squeeze tight. The blue eyes study me some more. I hate how I have to stare back. At how hypnotizing the eyes are. "I won't hurt you, I promise." I don't trust it. It could be a ruse. I barely blink as I stare back at the Peeta. I want to communicate that I don't trust him. It's the only way I can tell it for the words won't find their way into my mouth.

The Peeta, however, is persistent.

"They help me see," he says. "I don't know if they'd do you any good." They aren't doing me any good. I take the 'glasses' off but don't give them back to him. Instead I release his wrist and point at him, trying to convey my question through the gesture. What are you? Please tell me, I want to know. Maybe if you understand, I won't hurt you as much.

The Peeta helplessly tries to get what I mean. It's frustrating being unable to communicate. I've never been so mute and I do not like it. "I don't understand," he tells me. I point at his leg covers, where he wouldn't let me go without 'knowing me better', which I still don't fully understand. He looks down at himself, expecting to see something, but when he doesn't, he looks back at me. "What is it you want?"

Oh for the love of apes. I lurch forward and grab a fistful of the creature's top cover, holding it place so it doesn't lash out or escape me. It makes a sound of surprise but I ignore it. I slam it against the tree and shove my hand down the front of the leg covers. I grope around until I find what I'm looking for.

Ah, male.

Definitely male.

I grip the proof maybe a little too hard, this proved by how the Peeta creature welds his eyes shut and bites down on his lip hard. Good. Maybe he'll understand that I don't mess around. When I rip my hand back out of the leg covers, I rip the fabric by accident. The Peeta's eyes are wide, the blue like large lagoons of pure water. He's breathing heavily, his face twisted a little. I don't understand his horror. This is the jungle, this is how things work. Where, exactly, does he come from?

My hand is still twisted in his top cover. We stare at each other. Grey on blue. I want to look away but I have to force myself to do so, instead staring at the place I ripped the bottom covers. There's a pang in my heart. I was foolish to be so forceful, now I have destroyed flawless hides. They could have been a useful resource.

"I really won't hurt you," says the Peeta.

I suddenly want to believe him. His markings still lie on the branch. I unclench my fingers and let go of him, picking the markings up and staring at them. The baboon is beautifully captured. I glance at the Peeta but quickly avert my gaze when I see that he is still watching me. How could an animal have such a strange ability?

I look at his hands. They created these markings. They are not fighting hands. They're peaceful hands.

I try to give him his markings of the baboon back. He shakes his head and smiles.

"You keep it," he tells me.

My heart speeds up. I find myself smiling. The Peeta creature's smile brightens and he risks leaning forward. I jump, nerves on fire, jumping to my feet on the branch in fear. He holds his hands up in surrender and I relax a little.

"I just want my glasses back," he says. The glasses, still in my spare hand, are all he wants. I look at them and back at him. He squints at me. Maybe he really does need them for his vision. Reluctantly, I hand them back. He puts them on and his face lights up in delight. "Much better." He shakily stands on the high branch, keeping his back against the trunk so I'm not threatened. He pushes the glasses up. "Do you have a name?" he asks.

As soon as the last word leaves his mouth, I hear Kala's call. I straighten up and stare into the distance. Oh no. I snatch the vine up and grab the Peeta around the waist before jumping off the branch again. He yells in alarm but thankfully doesn't scream. When we're as close to the ground as we're going to get, I let go of him. He doesn't hurt himself upon impact with the ground but does roll a few meters from the tree before stopping.

I feel his eyes on me as I jump from one vine to the next, leaving him alone. Safe to go back to the females of his clan.

That night there is not darkness in my dreams.

There is the animal known as the Peeta creature.

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews, follows and faves! It's greatly appreciated! **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The more I think about him, the more I want to see him again. My primal instincts are on fire and as I recall our encounter, the more I curse myself for not dragging the creature back to my tree as my prisoner. If I imprisoned him, I would only use him for labour and mating. Something tells me that he would be a good labourer and a worthwhile sexual partner. Even if the Delly animal did have claim over the Peeta creature, I know I could snap every bone in such a petit creature to win ownership.

I wonder if a Peeta's skin is pale everywhere, or if it gets darker the further down you go. I wonder if he grows hair in the oddest of places like I do. I wonder if he would be able to make markings of me. I wonder if he would fight back if I forced him into mating with him. All these thoughts and more soar through my brain like a wingless bird seeking asylum.

The Peeta creature confused me in many ways. He did not fight me, he did not try to evade my company, he tried to talk to me, he spoke to me like we're equals . . . no one has ever treated me like their equal but Kala . . . He doesn't know me, how does he know that we're equals? Or do humans treat everyone as their equal? Would the Peeta creature have turned to a dung beetle and asked it if it could speak?

In the trees, I ponder this. The clan are moving and I with them. I don't pause or falter as I swing, keeping one part of my brain focused on travelling and the other focused on my bemusement over the actions of the Peeta creature. I wonder whether he told the other humans of how he was saved from a pack of baboons by a wild ape who resembles them or if he claimed ownership over the escape himself.

Would he tell them of me or just forget about me? The thought is unsettling: that he could forget about me so easily while I'm trapped in a box of never ending thoughts of humans and the Peeta creature. Are all Peeta animals as disorientating as the one I encountered? Or are they a little more relatable?

Are they all as pretty?

I stop completely, swinging onto a branch and sitting there for a while. The clan move on ahead but I know where they're going so I can catch up later. Pretty? Pretty is the words for flowers, for the sun and the grass and the jungle. Pretty is not for anonymous creatures. Why did sort an abnormal thought creep into my mind? Am I tired? Disorientated? Ill?

I wet my lips and cough as hard as I can. "P-P-P-P-P"-I scrunch my face up with the effort. "P-P-P"-Damn it all! I can't do it. I can't even pronounce the animal's pathetic excuse for a species name. I am doomed, never to use my voice for anything other than ape calls.

I will never be able to communicate with an animal as intelligent as the Peeta. Because that's what the Peeta is. Much smarter than I. he can stand up on both legs and hold himself straight. He can use his voice perfectly, his lips can form words I can only dream of being able to produce. This knowledge makes me mad. I want to find him and tear him apart. I want to jump from this tree and attack him, force him to tell me the secrets of being as incredibly impeccable as he.

I don't know how long I stay on my branch, internally ranting at the world around me for stunting my development. That has to be it. I am incompetent because I was not raised in the same part of the jungle as the Peeta and the humans. I wonder if he would take me to his side of the jungle, if I asked him. If he would show me the part that I have so obviously missed, the part that teaches you the secrets of standing and speaking and wearing hides not torn.

When I come to the realization that I've been sitting longer than I probably should be, I still don't move. It's like I am frozen, caught in the winter snow. I am so high up I feel like I could be God, powered with the ability to smite anyone I wanted to. I love how entertaining the idea is so much that I humour it some more. I could dumb down the humans and their petty Peeta creatures, I could make myself higher than them, better than the apes. Strong, impossibly strong. I have to be strong, it's all I have left.

"P-P-P-P"-I clench my fists in anger and scream. My position high in the tree protects me from possible predators. I scream as loud as I can. I roar like a lion, angry and frustrated.

"Tree lady?"

I look down to the source of the voice, stupefied to see the Peeta creature staring up at me from the bottom of the tree. He looks puzzled. Tree lazy . . . That must be what he calls me . . . Well, no wonder, I haven't told him my name. My name's Katniss. It's on the tip of my tongue, struggling to get out.

"Tree lady, are you alright?" asks the Peeta.

My name's Katniss.

I jump from my branch and crouch on the ground a few yards away from the Peeta. I am still weary of him but my curiosity outweighs the worry and I wish to see more of him. If Cornelius saw me, he would not be happy. But it just so happens, Cornelius is not here. As if able to tell that I do not want to be approached, the Peeta holds his position and doesn't move closer.

"Is everything alright?"

Why do you care?

"You saved my life," says the Peeta.

My eyes widen. How did he . . . ?

"I can see it in your eyes," he explains. "You can convey a lot with your eyes. The eyes are the windows to your soul, after all."

The eyes are not the windows to the soul they are the doors, beware what you allow to enter. That's what Kala always said. I don't know if I want the Peeta snooping around in my soul. I back off a little and glare. Stop it. I do not want you in my head.

"How else am I to speak to you?" the Peeta asks.

You don't.

"That's hardly acceptable."

I roll my eyes. Welcome to the jungle. Nothing's acceptable, it sucks.

The Peeta chuckles and smiles. "I suppose you're right about that," he says. "There's literally nowhere else wilder than the jungle. How can I say things like 'acceptable' in a world where baby animals are killed for food nearly everyday."

I look away. Our customs can be shameful, I'll give him that, but I do not wish to get into the politics of the jungle. You do not care where your next meal comes from as long as you get it. Nothing is worse than starvation. Except death, maybe.

"I'm sorry, I must sound like such a spoiled brat," the Peeta apologizes.

I tilt my head. What does he mean by 'spoiled brat'?

"Sometimes I feel like you understand what I'm saying, the next it seems like you don't have a clue," says the Peeta.

My eyes fall upon the leg covers, the ones I had ripped the other day. They are fixed, not a single sign of my tear there at all. I crawl forward and squint, amazed by how well my rip had been mended. I then look at my own covers, all torn and ripped to pieces. The Peeta watches me carefully, as if I am a bomb about to explode.

"These are a different pair," he helpfully tells me. "A friend of mine is mending the other pair."

I look at him sharply. Is his friend the Delly? Or one of the other animals in his pack? The Peeta sees the fire in my eyes but doesn't back down. His smile burns into my skin, hotter than the sun. I suddenly wish I could say his name. Not even his name, maybe my own. Show him that I am just as capable as he is. That my covers may not mend and I may not have other sets but I am just like him.

Instead, I draw myself up. Bones crack in my back and legs as I straighten my posture and cock my head at the Peeta. I feel ridiculous standing the way I am but I do it anyway, showing this male that I am just like him and I will not be dominated. Because that has to be what he wants. If not to fight or kill, then the next possible outcome has to be mate. But I am not going to be dominated, especially not by another species.

"Wow," the Peeta breathes. "That's amazing."

The praise makes me twitch in surprise. The only person to have ever praised me before is Kala and on a few occasions Gale. I don't know whether I like it coming from the Peeta or not. In one way it can be viewed as condescending, on another it could be viewed as unbearably sweet. Isn't standing common for the humans, though? Why would the Peeta view it as amazing?

We are of same height. I'm staring right into his eyes, into the sky blue crystals embedded in his lids. I reach out to touch the crystal but the Peeta jerks his head away before I can. "You can't touch people there," he tells me.

Oh. Okay. Maybe that's why they're so mesmerizing. Because they aren't meant to be touched. I reluctantly retract my hand and, just to be sure, I point at the leg covers as well, the tip of my finger pointed right where I checked his gender.

Peeta nods. "Yes. Not there either."

Right. Human customs are fascinating but very confusing.

I want to see if my thoughts are right, if all the Peeta's skin is pale everywhere, if it gets darker the further down you go. If there's hair in odd places like me, if he'd be able to make markings of me. If he'd protest if I forced him to mate with me. I don't know how to find out though as if touching the leg covers is enough of a sin, then forcing the covers off to examine the skin underneath is probably even worse.

"Are you alright?" The Peeta asks, repeating the same question from earlier.

I nod, knowing that there is no possible way I could explain why I was screaming. Besides, I'm okay enough, it's not like I was yelling over anything serious. Just frustration. And frustration is one of those things that need tons of explanation. I can't begin to explain it, even if I wanted to, which I don't.

"I can't pretend that I understand who you are or why you act the way you do but I really would like to know more," The Peeta tells me. I don't know how to answer this so I just stare instead. "I just wish there was a way you could tell me more about yourself."

In a way, I guess, so do I.

"Do you live here? Is this place your home?"

I nod again and smile. Yes, the jungle's my home. I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

The Peeta is intrigued by this. "Have you lived here all your life?" he asks.

I nod.

"Do you know anything about the world beyond the jungle?"

Beyond the jungle? What's he talking about? There isn't anything beyond the jungle. The jungle is my whole world. I must be frowning because the Peeta realizes that I don't know what he's talking about. He steps closer to me, suddenly invigorated, but holds himself back when I back away wearily. I do not want him so near. My curiosity has only been spiked once concerning this creature's anatomy and I do not wish for it to happen again.

"You don't know, do you?" he concludes. His face lights up with excitement. "I could show you, if you want. There's a great big world out there, just waiting to be explored. The jungle is only a small part of it."

I eye him suspiciously. His words sound amazing but wholly unlikely and I am hesitant to believe him. A world beyond the jungle, filled with new sites to be explored? It sounds amazing but none too daunting. I can't leave Kala behind anyway, I would never do that to her. I shake my head and the Peeta's face falls.

"Why not?" he asks me. He realizes that I cannot answer this and nods in understanding. "Okay. I know I should respect your decision." He pushes his fingers through his hair and sighs. "My expedition is going to be here for a week more. If you want, you can come and find me. We're not far from that abandoned cabin, do you know it?"

I nod. A month ago I wouldn't have known it but now I do.

The Peeta nods and smiles again. "Come find me if you change your mind. There are so many adventures out there, tree lady. You just have to take that leap to find them."

As I watch him leave, only one thing comes into my head. Something I want to tell him so desperately it almost hurts.

My name is Katniss.

**A/N: Thank you everyone for your reviews! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you everyone for your lovely reviews! I am glad that you are all enjoying the story! **

Chapter Four

It doesn't take a lot to find the 'expedition' camp the Peeta spoke of. In fact, it's almost insulting how quickly I find it. The humans are obviously very foolish creatures, taking rest in such an open area. A tiger or other predator could find them as easily as I and rip the place to shreds. The thought of the Peeta creature hurt, bleeding on the floor, makes my stomach lurch. No, that will not happen. I will not allow it. I consider the creature my property now and I will not allow anyone else to take it from me. Not a tiger, or predator, not even that silly Delly creature.

The human camp is fascinating. Their shelters are made of an alien material, supported by poles and held in a roof-like structure. There don't seem to be many humans as I make my way through camp without being spotted effortlessly. I use stealth even though it doesn't seem to be needed. So much space with so little opponents. How odd.

I don't know where to find the Peeta. I don't know whether this is good or bad. It could be considered bad as he is the only human I wish to seek and it could be good because I still don't know what I'm here for. I just wandered away from the others for a while. Kala scolded me the last time but what does she expect? I have found a captivating species, an enchanting male who may well be a future mating consideration. Granted, Kala doesn't know this but if she did she'd probably lose her head anyway.

Kala has always taught me to fight for what I want. I want the Peeta creature, even if he doesn't want me, and I will get what I want. Rules of the jungle. Fight or be fought. I don't care about the Delly creature or whatever ownership she may have. I intend to kill her for her mate. Funny, it's normally the other way around. Male gorillas would battle other males for their mates, not the other way around. However, just because females have never fought before doesn't mean there can't be a first time.

I happen upon a tent that's green in colour. I pause to admire the colour. It's amazing, this fabric, I have never seen anything like it. In the glorious greens of the jungle too! Astounding. Tied to one of the supporting poles is an orange silky material. Wow. It's just like the colour the sky turns at sunset. I wonder how such colours are captured.

There is movement inside the tent and I freeze. I am not afraid. If the Delly animal came out right this moment I would crush her skull in my fist if necessary. I stand in the parting of the tent flaps, interested on who was inside.

My heart soars as I see the Peeta appear. I step closer to the flaps for a better view and watch him in avid curiosity. He walks aimlessly around the interior of his shelter, slipping the tiny connectors out of the black silky top cover that went over the white. He takes it off completely and folds it up, putting it on what looks like a resting place. He proceeds to do the same with the connectors at the end of his sleeves and down the front of the white top cover.

My eyes widen and I step forward, taking hold of the green material and pulling it back for a better look. The Peeta's back is to me now. He is standing before a structure-not unlike one I seen pushed against the wall in the abandoned 'cabin' as he called it-which has an object on top of a spherical shape. The Peeta-still unaware of my presence-takes off the white top cover. In a way, I should be laughing at his inability to notice my being just outside. His instincts must be blunted, putting him at great disadvantage. Another thing I have that he doesn't. I am sharp and he is not.

There's a twinge in my lower stomach as my eyes take in the strong muscles in the Peeta creature's back. My blood heats up and sweat builds up on my lower lip. Why wear such modest top covers when you have such a robust build? I know that my body is strong and I do not mind wearing covers that flaunt this.

I realize that the Peeta is washing. The spherical object holds water, which he dips a cloth into and rubs against his skin. What a peculiar way of doing it. The gorillas and I just go to the river and bathe there.

I lean my weight too much to the right, just the tiniest of bits, and my foot presses against a branch. I am horrified when it snaps, the sound amplified in the silence. I've never broken twigs before. I am not that careless.

The Peeta hears me-the blunted instincts not dumb enough to miss it-and turns around in surprise. His disconcerted gaze softens when he sees me standing on the edge of his shelter. "Hello," he says, his voice warm. "I didn't think you would come."

What makes you say that? I try using my eyes to communicate with him, since he did say that he could sometimes read what I want to say to him through them.

"I don't really know," he shrugs. "I just thought I might have scared you off by offering to show you my world."

I scoff. Scared? He barely made a dent in my armour, let alone scare me!

"Okay, I that was probably the wrong choice of wording," the Peeta admits. "You could probably scare me more before breakfast than I could in a year."

I grin. Damn right I could.

"Don't just stand there, you're welcome to come in," the Peeta tells me.

I nod and step inside, at wonder of the complicated interior of his shelter. There's structures everywhere and I wonder what the function of each one is. I run my finger along the smooth wood of a box-like thing. The Peeta gestures at it and explains. "It's a wardrobe," he explains. "It holds clothes."

Clothes? Does he mean covers? I point at the two top covers he had laid on the sleeping area and Peeta nods. "Yes," he says. "Clothes."

How interesting. I wish I could ask him why he covers himself with such covers. I know my strongest areas are my legs and arms, as they are muscled and sturdy, and that is why I leave them uncovered. A warning to other creatures that I am capable of battle and will win over whoever challenges me. Why doesn't the Peeta do the same? A torso as resilient as his would be an excellent warning to possible predators. Or is that not how the humans work?

I am staring blatantly at him and he flushes pink in confusing embarrassment. I don't understand why. Is my interest too much for him to handle? How different are the humans? I lift my eyes to meet his. "Sorry," he apologizes. "I'm all over the place."

What? No you're not. You're right here.

The Peeta chuckles. "It's a figure of speech."

A what of speech?!

On the structure in which the water's holder sits, there's a captured image in a wooden holder. I lean forward and squint at it. It's an image of all the people I saw when I was in the tree that first day I saw the Peeta. The younger girl draws my attention the most. Was her name Prim? I can't remember all that clearly. The only names I really recall are Peeta and Delly.

"That's Primrose," the Peeta explains. "She's the reason we're all here. That abandoned cabin belongs to her parents. They went on an expedition here sixteen years ago and were killed. Primrose had been left with her auntie at the time because she was only a baby and nearly really knew them. She wanted to come here to have a look at her parent's properly. She still doesn't know why they died to this day."

How tragic. It must be hard to become head of the family before you even learn to walk. I run my thumb along the length of Primrose's image. She's an attractive girl. It's incredible how she has been able to lead her family on her own and arrange an . . . expedition?

"Mind-boggling, isn't it?" asks the Peeta.

I nod. It is. I would never have been able to make it on my own without Kala's help. Maybe the humans are stronger than I first imagined. This only increases my interest. I desperately want to discover more of human customs. I wonder if I went to where they come from for a while and promise Kala that I will return, would she allow me to go? She's always been very overprotective of me but it's about time I discovered this mysterious part of the jungle that houses the humans and has bred such strange customs.

It's about time I made my own decisions.

I turn to the Peeta creature, the twinge sparking in my lower stomach again when we are facing each other. I haven't realized that as soon as I had entered the tent, I had straightened up to mimic the Peeta's posture. It is becoming easier. My lower back aches a little but it is not difficult. I reach out and smooth my hand along his shoulder. The Peeta tenses a little but doesn't remove my hand like he had done a few times before. I think it's because a part of him is still worried that I'll explode and slit his throat.

I slip my hand down and press it against his chest, feeling his heart beating underneath my hand. I hope he gets what I'm trying to tell him.

"You want to come with me?" he asks.

I nod, delighted that he understands.

"Are you sure?"

I nod again. Kala may miss me but I will come back. Eventually. Once I have learned the ways of the humans.

Once I have learned more about the Peeta.

**A/N: Please R&R with your thoughts! Thank you! **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"What is that, exactly?!"

The Delly's voice grates on my nerves. I stand behind the Peeta, eyeing up all five females wearily. They are just as weary of me as I am of them and I can understand how they may be disconcerted. However, what I do not understand is the Delly's need to screech like a banshee. You don't express fear, you suppress it so your opponent doesn't see it.

"She is not an 'it'," the Peeta says, immediately to my defense. I can only see the back of his head and I don't know whether to be offended or honoured by his need to defend me. I can defend myself.

"It's a she?" the Clove asks slowly.

"Yes, she is," the Peeta explains slowly. I meet the Clove's eyes and I see warmth. I know instantly that she will not be a bother. I see a flame lit behind those brown orbs but I do not see unnecessary ignition. Not a threat.

"Is she from another expedition?" the Leevy asks. She stands the furthest away, arms folded and mouth in a thin line. In her eyes I see peace but unhappiness. Also not a threat but I do not believe she will be all that friendly either.

"No," the Peeta says carefully. "She can't speak but from what I can tell, she's been raised in the jungle. I want to take her back with us so I can show her the world beyond the trees." Beyond the trees? These creatures don't live in the jungle? I flash the Peeta an alarmed look but he smiles warmly at me and my nerves relax a little.

"Back to England?!" the Delly screeches. "Are you crazy?!"

I don't like the tone she's using to address the Peeta. She's abrasive and sharp. Unnecessarily so. The Peeta, however, simply takes it on the chin and doesn't pick a fight about it. Maybe that's why these animals are so well presented. They don't pick as many fights as the apes would do. "Yes, back to England. I think she could benefit greatly from learning about what goes on beyond the jungle," the Peeta calmly explains.

"Primrose, tell him he's mad!" the Delly declares, spinning around and addressing the blonde girl from the picture the Peeta had in his tent.

The Primrose creature is silent. She stands as tall as her petite height will allow, with chin tilted toward the sky and eyes alight with welcome and warmth. After a moment's thought, she speaks up. "I think Peeta's right," she says. "The girl is obviously like us, she just needs help."

"Help and a hairbrush," the Clove comments.

"It's going to take more than a hairbrush," the Delly scoffs. "What shape is that anyway? Is that some sort of braid?" What are they talking about? My fur? My arm goes to my head, to touch my tangle of fur, and almost immediately the Delly squeals, her face twisting in disgust. "Ewwww, look at her armpits!"

"Oh my god Delly, what are you expecting? There aren't razors in the fucking jungle!" the Clove exclaims. I realize they are talking about my arm fur, which I had always believed was something all animals had. Do the female humans not grow arm fur?

"Don't listen to her," the Peeta says to me gently. "She's a little . . . eccentric."

"Peeta!" the Delly shouts.

"He has a point," the Leevy says.

"Shut up!" The Delly threw her hands in the hair in what I can only decipher as exasperation. "Why am I the only one seeing sense? We can't bring a stray back to England! Think of the rumours!"

"There won't be any rumours," the Madge says, smiling at me just like the Peeta did, minus the effect it had on my heart. "I'll help her become presentable before we touch down in England. We'll say we met her on another expedition. I'll even lend her one of my dresses, which will be a temporary loan as I assume you will be fully capable of providing for her once we reach England, Peeta?"

"Aren't we getting into this very fast?!" the Delly yells before Peeta can open his mouth. "We don't even know if she's carrying diseases or not. She could have fucked monkeys for all we know and have ape chlamydia!" I don't understand what the Delly is trying to say but judging by her tone, it is very negative. I should break that pretty little face of hers. Then she'd be destroyed and the Peeta could be mine.

"I'm a doctor, Delly," the Primrose reminds the loud girl. "I will check her over."

"We can't leave her behind, anyways," the Clove adds. "I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing we left a defenseless girl in the jungle to be eaten by who knows what."

"Look at the size of the fucking muscles!" the Delly exclaims. "She's far from defenseless."

"Delly, please stop swearing," the Peeta says. I admire his ability to stay calm and measured, knowing that if I had my voice myself I'd probably be roaring right back at the Delly with double the ferocity and volume. "She's a woman, just like you or any other. She's obviously missed out on a lot of opportunities that we have had in life and I will not allow her to miss out on anymore. I am not leaving her behind. Do you understand me, Delly?"

Delly rolls her eyes and doesn't answer.

Despite the calm in his voice, you can sense the edge in it as Peeta pushes the point. "Do. You. Understand. Me. Delly?"

"Don't you dare talk to me like that, Mellark, do you hear me?!" Delly snaps. She charges forward, full of fury, and I lurch into action. I've seen such a feral glint in the eyes of the angriest of monkeys, the ones who have the shortest of fuses and rip apart even the tiniest shimmer of a threat.

I push the Peeta behind me and make myself as tall as possible, muscles tensed and prepared for a fight. The Delly stumbles to a stop and stares at me in complete horror. Even the other girls look surprised. I'm breathing heavily, putting every ounce of animosity I feel for this girl into one deathly stare.

"_You touch a hair on his head and I will break your neck in two."_

The Peeta lays his hand on my shoulder. "It's okay," he tells me. I shake my head. No it's not. This girl needs to be reminded of who rules this jungle. I am higher than her on the food chain and I will crush her like a bug. "Please, don't. It's okay, I promise."

"What? Is she your new bodyguard, Peeta?" the Delly spits acidly. "Scared of getting hit by a girl?"

"Not now, Delly, please," the Peeta says tiredly. He pauses, immediately realizing what the Delly has just done. She has just admitted out loud that she intended to hit him. She hits him, as in multiple times. I am past the point of rational thought and don't care that she is no longer charging at him. I launch myself anyway.

The Delly screams and runs away. I want to give chase but two strong arms wrap around my waist and pulls me back. The Peeta has me and, no matter how hard I struggle, he somehow keeps hold of me. "Please, calm down! It's okay!" he shouts, trying to get his voice heard over the Delly's screaming and my struggling.

"She's feral!" The Delly roars.

"Shut up Cartwright, you provoked her," the Madge rebukes.

The Peeta puts me down but before I can chase after the Delly, he grabs my wrists and pulls me over to face him. "Hey, look at me, hey, hey, it's okay," he says gently. I'm still trying to be freed but his eyes have somehow captured my attention, despite my desire to rip the Delly's head off her shoulders. "It's okay, just keep looking at me."

I do. And my anger melts away. My muscles relax and my rage disappears. _"She hurts you,"_ I tell him with my eyes._ "Hit her back."_

"I can't. That's not how it works," he replies.

"_Leave her then."_

"It's not that easy." The Peeta smiles at me. I smile back. "Please don't hurt Delly. I know she can be a pain but that's just the way she is."

"_I want to wring her neck in."_

"I'm sure you're not the first," the Peeta says warmly.

"_Something tells me you're right."_

The Peeta laughs. He reaches up and brushes a stray hair away from my face. I grab his wrist on instinct. "Sorry," he apologizes. My fingers squeeze his wrist tight but I release him, not sure why I even grabbed him in the first place. I glance at the other girls, who have gathered in a tight huddle, obviously discussing something of great importance.

"_Delly, is she your mate?"_

The Peeta looks away. "I suppose that's a way of putting it."

"_Do you procreate?"_

"Not yet," he tells me. This makes me grin. I can't help it. It means I can still claim him. All I have to do is rid the Delly of her ownership. Shouldn't be too hard, considering the way she ran away from me, screaming like a coward.

I wonder what mating with the Peeta would be like. I am clearly the more dominant being, since I must fight for the partner I want, and I am sure that the same rules apply when it comes to making me with child. Would the Peeta allow me to do so? If the Delly were out of the way and I had full control over him? Would he allow me to do it?

"Peeta!"

The Peeta and I turn to the source of the Primrose's voice. She stands a little away from the rest of the group, where the Delly seems to be sulking. "She can come with us," she says.

The Peeta grins and looks back at me, eyes alight with joy. "You can come to England," he tells me.

His grin is contagious. I wonder what this England is like. I wonder if it is far from here.

I wonder if once I go there, if I will ever want to come back.

**A/N: Thank you to everyone reading and reviewing! Sorry the chapters are so short but I'm hoping that they will get longer in the future when the plot picks up a little bit!**

**As for Delly's attitude and the nature of her relationship with Peeta, that will be one of the many mysteries of this story. If she is abusive, why does Peeta stay with her? What makes her so abusive and why does she feel the need to shout and rave about Katniss coming to England with them? All to be revealed! ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The Peeta tries to leave while the Primrose makes sure I am not infected. I don't know why but not having him around worries me. I don't trust anyone else in this expedition. Only the Peeta. He is the only person in this entire campsite who has shown me any acceptance and, even though I am fully capable of defending myself against any of the females here, I am reluctant for the Peeta to leave.

"It's alright," he tells me when I grab his arm in the Primrose's tent. "Prim is a fully trained doctor, she knows what she's doing."

"_Then why can't you just stay here?"_

"Because . . ." the Peeta trails off, scratching the back of his head in an almost flustered manner. "Because this is more of a female affair."

"_I doubt that matters. I don't care what sort of affair it is."_

"_You_ might not but I don't think I can really be here. For the sake of my own moral high ground," the Peeta tries to explain. "It feels like I'd almost be taking advantage. Besides, you're completely safe in Primrose's hands, I swear."

I don't deny that the Peeta is being truthful but I don't want him to leave. I am not afraid but I feel like if I were in his presence then I would be less likely to lash out on the Primrose creature. I need him to tell me what's custom and whether she is actually making violent advances. _"I don't want to reduce myself to bribery, Peeta, but if you don't stay I'm not going to be held responsible for what I do to this woman in your absence."_

There's something I can't read in the Peeta's eyes. He knows I'm just being honest, why would I lie about something like that? He sighs but doesn't seem at all exasperated. "Prim isn't a threat," he repeats. "You shouldn't have any reason to hurt her."

We're standing outside the Primrose's tent, the sun having made its way to the middle of the sky to pound down the tiny expedition camp like a brutal God trying to burn us all into nothing but ash. The heat is nothing compared to extreme temperatures the jungle can experience but it's obviously taking its toll on the humans. The other females are walking around with fanning devices, trying to reduce their skin's ability to sweat. The Delly has made it clear that she is not happy with myself being near her mate in any shape or form. Even now I can feel her eyes smoldering into the side of my head, making sure I don't do anything deemed unacceptable to the human she has claimed. She is persistent, I'll give her that. It's almost amusing that she doesn't understand how much I am fully capable of. Whenever she tries to attack, I'll be ready.

"_Why are you so eager not to stay? Are you already sick of me?"_ The thought is alarming and fear seizes my heart. Could the Peeta already be sick of me? Am I really that horrible to be around?

"Oh God, of course not!" the Peeta exclaims. "I just . . . It's just . . ." He chews on his bottom lip thoughtfully, trying to find the right words to come to mind. "I'm not sick of you, I'd never be sick of you! I just didn't want to . . ."

"_If you don't come with me, I'm not going."_ As stubborn and clingy as it sounds, I do not trust any of these girls and would rather have the Peeta in the tent with me to be, as the Primrose had put it, 'examined'.

The Peeta sighs again but this time smiles at the end of it. "Okay," he relents. "I'll go with you."

Inside the Prim's tent is a lot more technical than what I saw in the Peeta's. There are much more structures inside the tent, many more storage cabinets like the wardrobe that holds clothes only with minor differences. The Primrose stands beside what looks like a tall cot, wearing a white overall that covers her pale blue single covers.

"Hello . . ." The Primrose looks at me, then to the Peeta, ". . . does she have a name?"

"I'm sure she does," says the Peeta, "but I do not know what it is."

_My name's Katniss._

The Primrose nods and pats the tall cot with a smile. "Just pop on here and we'll get started," she says.

I look at the Peeta, just to be sure, and when he nods so encouragingly at me I know that this is safe. The Primrose will not hurt me. I sit on the tall cot the only way I know how: by crouching on the mattress. Despite the nature of the examination that proceeds to take place, the Peeta stays by my side, as requested. He modestly looks away for some parts and I could swear his face changes colour from powder white to pale rose pink. I'm not sure why, since the Primrose is only checking me for diseases. At least, that's what I think she's doing.

"There's some minor cuts and bruises but from what I can tell she hasn't contracted anything from her time in the jungle," the Primrose explains.

"Well, that's great, isn't it?" the Peeta beams at me and his happiness is contagious. Even if I had been infected with some sort of illness, I hadn't felt it or been affected by it so I hardly care but the Peeta's delight is extremely endearing. "You're completely clean!"

Clean? Clean is something I'm very far from. However, the Peeta's misuse of the term makes me smile and I cannot resist the small quirk up of my lips. It seems like the Peeta creature always has that effect on me.

After the examination, the Peeta takes me back to his tent. I know I should be worried, that I should always be on guard, even with him. I should trust the Peeta as much as I trust the females, which is barely, if at all. But I don't. I give him an extra level of trust because I know that he is not a fighter. Even if he did turn on me, I could easily fight him off. But there's something deep in my subconscious that knows that he won't. Why?

His hands.

Between myself and the Peeta, there is a wall of muscle. From my years in the jungle, I know how to identify a threat through their body stature. Whether I can take them on or whether I should submit. On first glance, the Peeta was a threat. All I saw was muscle and girth. I thought in a fight we would be evenly matched, him with the slightest of advantages. But it didn't take me long to realize that this was wrong. His hands, when I handed him the sketchpad back, were not the hands of a fighter. Besides, if they were, then how could they perfectly replicate the image of a baboon with nothing but a tiny piece of charcoal?

The Peeta does not have fighting hands.

And I know when in his presence, I shall be safe.

Inside the Peeta's tent, he sits me down on his cot and rummages around for something inside one of his wooden structures. I cannot take my eyes off him and I watch his every move, right until he sits down beside me. He is holding his sketchpad which he has opened up to a specific page. On the page, I see an unfamiliar image. It is of a large mechanical object with wings almost like a bird.

"This is an airplane," he explains to me. "This will take us from the jungle to London, where I'm from."

Airplane. As in the air around us? I cock my head in confusion. What does he mean?

"It flies," the Peeta says. He points upwards, to the top of the tent. "Through the sky?"

_Like a bird?_

"Exactly like a bird."

How can such a mode of transport even exist? What world does the Peeta and the other humans come from that those without wings can fly? I want to try to voice this question. Not with my eyes, but with my voice. As usual, however, my voice catches in my throat and shrivels up like a rotten piece of fruit.

"I want to make you aware of all this now, so it won't come as that much of a shock when it's time to leave," the Peeta explains. "I don't want to scare you."

Scared? Me? His naivety is laughable. I have soared through the trees like a bird, the sky does not frighten me. It would take a lot more than the sky to scare me. The ground is ten times more mysterious than the air. _"We will fly? To . . . London?"_ The word, 'London' is alien to me. It can't be part of the jungle. I've never heard of it before. Ever.

"Yes," the Peeta says. "Madge will help by lending you clothes and you can sleep in my spare room."

"_Will the Delly be there?"_

The Peeta's eyes are unreadable. "Yes," he finally answers. "She will."

"_So she_ is_ your mate?"_ I will keep proposing this question until he answers me properly. 'You could say that' isn't going to cut with me. I notice the Peeta playing with a golden band around his finger. How had I never noticed such an extravagant item before? I grab his hand and hold the band up to my eyes. I peer over his hand at him. _"What is this?"_

"It's a ring," he hesitantly tells me. "A . . . wedding ring."

Wedding ring? What does that mean?

As if sensing my perplexion, the Peeta elaborates. "Delly gave it to me. She's . . . my wife."

That word. 'Wife'. I have heard it before. Used by other animal clans. Wives are one half of a married couple. The other half's a . . . husband. _"You've been civilly joined with her?"_ I ask this question with anger. It boils my blood that a creature with such potential has been tied down to a squealing mess such as the Delly. There's been marriages in the jungle but they are easily breached. If you kill one of the joined partners then the one left alive is yours. The idea of killing the Delly is becoming more and more appealing as time grows on.

"Yes," the Peeta reluctantly answers. "It was an arranged marriage."

"_You don't love her then?"_

"I didn't say that."

"_So you do?"_

"I didn't say that either."

"_How can you love such a woman anyway? She is not a woman, she is a worm. A piece of bacteria on the skin of this glorious world. A man like you deserves a woman who is strong, someone who is brave and can look after you. A woman who doesn't raise her hand to you. A woman who can fight and protect you. A woman like me."_

Of course, it's hard to communicate all of this to the Peeta through my eyes and all he really understands from my sharp gaze is that I really don't like Delly. "She grows on you," he says, trying to sound hopeful.

"_I'm sure she does. Just like a parasite."_

"Can you give her a chance?" he asks from me.

"_Trust me, I've given her many."_

"One more?"

I look into his eyes and find desperate pleading. My heart melts and I clench my jaw. I don't want to give the Delly another chance, she's had too many, but it's something the Peeta really wants from me. And for him, I feel like I would do anything. Why I am not entirely sure but there is few goodness in this world and I'll be damned if I don't protect what little there is. The Peeta is the living embodiment of goodness and I will protect him. This much I know for certain.

I am about to answer him when a shrill scream breaks through the atmosphere. It can be immediately identified as the Delly and I wonder if she has stumbled upon a tiny lizard in her tent. The thought is amusing but when I follow the Peeta out of his tent and out into the open, I realize it is not a lizard.

It's Kala.

Kala has invaded the camp, most likely looking for me. The Delly is in the arms of the Clove, shrieking her head off while Kala peacefully passes. I brush past the Peeta and make myself clear. I call out to her. _"Kala!"_

Kala's head snaps to me and her eyes light up. She runs to me and wraps her arms around me. I nestle my face into her fur and swallow the lump in my throat. She came looking for me. She came looking for me because I didn't come back to her. When we part, she smacks me. The burn is intense and I grit my teeth. I deserved that. I shouldn't have left without telling her.

"_You scared me to death!"_ she growls at me.

"_I'm sorry. I should have told you."_

"_Come back with me now."_ Kala tries to take my hand but I pull away. The hurt that flashes in her eyes breaks my heart. _"Katniss?"_

"_Mama, look at these people,"_ I say to her._ "They look like me. Maybe they can tell me what I am. Where I really come from. I have to find out about my past. Please."_

"_Katniss, you don't need to know about your past. Haven't I done enough for you?"_

I touch her furry face with my hand and smile through my teary eyes. _"Of course you have. But I'm old enough now to find out about my roots. I have to do this Mama. Don't take me away from may be my only chance. I might even begin to fit in, for once."_

"_You fit in with us!"_ protests Kala.

"_Mama, don't,"_ I whisper. _"You know that's not true. Please, I'm begging you. Don't take me away from this."_

Kala smiles weakly. She brushes her thick fingers through my braid and affectionately pats my head._ "My little Katniss,"_ she says. _"My baby girl."_

"_You'll always be my mama Kala,"_ I tell her. _"No one will ever take that from you, I swear."_

Kala pulls me into her arms one last time. _"My little Katniss,"_ she repeats into my hair. _"Be free little bird and never forget me."_

"_Never,"_ I promise. _"It's not possible."_

When she has disappeared into the trees, I realize that there is one thing I was never strong enough for. The one thing that muscles could never fight. That words cannot heal and fists cannot fix. I was never strong enough to say goodbye. I crumple to the ground and bury my face into my knees. I cry shamelessly, balling like the wild animal I am. It is unlikely that I will ever see my mama again. I will never see my Kala again for I have chosen to seek the path of independence. My mama is gone forever.

Arms wrap around me and I know that they are the Peeta's. For once, I allow it and don't fight him off. I need the little piece of intimacy and I press my face against his chest, wetting his covers. I shake and sob in his arms, shaking like the pathetic little creature that I truly am, when stripped down to the barest of forms.

"It'll be okay," the Peeta shushes. He rubs my back and whispers sweet nothings. I listen to every single one and cling to them like my life depends on them all.

And again, the thought comes into my head. The thing I want to say to him most.

_My name is Katniss. Peeta, please hear me._

**A/N: Please review with your thoughts! I'm overwhelmed with the support so far! Thank you everyone! :) **

**There have been some inquiries regarding the time period because of the girls' behavior and how they carry themselves. Well, the story's based in the early 20****th**** Century and the girls are only behaving the way they are because they aren't in public. Trust me, you'll see a massive change when they return to London. **


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